Golf driving device



Dec. 6, 1932. V D, s m- 1,889,813

GOLF DRIVING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuentoz De.6,1932. B. 0. SMITH 1,889,813

GOLF DRIVING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23. 1.930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5 74 .4

film/lard 17. Jmm 2 3 I I Qwmwtoc dbbomq Dec. 6, 1932.

DIRECTIONS Baia-Knobhfim B. 0. SMITH 1,889,813

GOLF DRIVING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 11 it E? \i- M T f 7 l I I 1?; i I l L l g 1- '21? v fig/0 Fly Dec. 6, 1932; B, $M|TH 1,889,813

GOLF DRIVING DEVICE 1 Filed Aug. 25. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 42 44 y /6 filaneizardfl 2 135 Patented Dec. 1932 entree stares earner orrrcs BLQNQHABD D. SMITH, NEW OBLEANS, LG'UISIANA, ASSIGNOB TO B. D. WE, mo, OE

. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, A. CQBEOMTION eoLr nnivrne nnvron Application filed August 3, 1939. Eerie! Ito. tantra My invention relates to improvements in apparatns for playing or practicing games such as golf.

An important object of my invention s the provision of an apparatus which simulates the conditions existing on a real golf course, although requiring only a relatively small space. T

Another ob'ect of my invention is to provide a device or calculating the distance that a ball, struck by the player, would have traveled on a golf course. p y

A further object of my invention is the provision or means for determining the initial velocity of the ball when struck.

Yet another object of my invention'is to consider the direction of the balls flight in calculating the distance of the flight.

Other objects and advantages of my inven- 39 tion will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accom anyin drawings, which form a part of this speclfication, and wherein like characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved driving apparatus,

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a front elevation,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the driving tee,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 6 is a detailview of one of the toes,

Figure '3 is an enlarged detail view therehigure 8 is a detail of the tee contacts and insulating strip, 7

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the drive indicator,

Figure 10 is a rear elevation thereof, Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view therethrough,

Figure 12 is a detail of the mat contact mechanism,

Figure 13 is a detail view of the indicator release mechanism,

Figure ll is a detail view showing the tee I making contactbetween the contact strips, Figure 15 is a detail view of the indicator brake mechanism, parts being broken away, and

Figure 16 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, parts being removed,

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferredembodiment of m invention, the numeral 17 designates an e ongated cage comprisingtop and side walls of suitable wire or fabric, the front end of'the cage bein open. Suitable wings 18 are arranged at t e open end of the cage and diverge outwardly to form an enlarged entrance to the cage. The roof of the cage preferably slopes upwardly as it approaches the rear, and at the rear of the cage suitable mats are provided into which the balls are driven. A mat 19 of relatively narrow Width, as approximately one third of the width of the cage, is arranged centrally of the cage and is secured adjacent the top of the cage. m

' Spaced behind the mat 19 is a mat 20 which extends the entire width of the cage and from the front. of the cage is visible at both sides of the central mat 19. A platform 21 is arranged beneath the mats or curtains 19 and 20 and is spaced from the ground, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Suitable openings 22 are arranged in the platform 21 and receive cables 23 which are secured to the lower ends of the mats 19 and 20 and hang through the openings 22 and extend below the platform 21. A washer or other projection 2a is secured to the lower end of each of the cables 23, and a coil spring 25 is arranged about each of the cables and rests upon the washer 24. A contact washer 26 is slidably arranged on the cable and rests upon the top of the spring. A contact plate 27 is secured to the underside of the platform 21 and is provided with openings which register with the openings 22 in the platform. in normal position the contact was or 26 isspaced below the plate 27 When a ball strikes the mat, it is bulged rearward ly, the cable is drawn upward, and the washor 26 contacts with the plate 27,. Further up ward movement of the cable compresses the s ring 25 and presses the washer against the l p ate 2'? to insure a good contact. The spring 25 then returns the cable to its normal posi tlon. The cables may be arranged at suitable mg wherever the mat is struck by a ball.

. balls into the mats.

An inclined wall of fabricor the like 28 extends from a point adjacent the platform 21 to the ground and will guide -any very low The mats 19 and 20 are painted to resemble :1 golf course, the objects being painted in perspective. The forward, central mat 19 is painted to represent the fairway, as shown in Figure 3, and a green is painted near the top of the mat, in perspective. The portions of the rear mat 20 at the sides of the mat '19 are painted to represent the rough.

A driving tee is arranged at a point in front of the entrance to the cage 17 centrally thereof and com rises a bristle mat or'the like 29 supporte" on a suitable platform 30. A transverse slot 31 extends through themat 29 and platform 30 and an insulating strip 32 is secured in thisslot. Openings 33 are arranged inspaced relation along the strip 32, and contact strips 34 are secured above and below the insulating strip. Openings 35 in the contact strips 34 re ter with the openings 33 and are adapt'e to receive the stud 36 of tees 37, a number of which extend upwardly from the slot 31. The tees 37 are preferably formed of.rubber and are enlarged at their upper ends to receive the golf balls. Their lower ends are provided with openings to receive the reduced ends of the studs 36 and rings 38 may compress the tees about the studs, as shown in Figure 7. Spaced contact washers 39 are carried by the studs '36 and the upper washer normally rests upon the upper contact strip 34 while the lower washer is normally spaced below the lower contact strip as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The stud 36 extends freely through the openings in the insulating stripand conta'ct strip t the insulating strip prevents contact of the stud with the contact strips. When the tee is tilted however, as when the ball is struck, thewashers 39- cont-act with both strips 34 as shown in Figure 14.

An ob ect of my invention is to calculate the len of flight of, the ball by timing the fli ht rom the tee to the mat. To accomplish this I provide an indicator having suitable legs which are inserted in the ground at a (point adjacent the driving tee and to one s1 e thereof as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The indicator comprises an elongated vertical panel 40 having a central vertical slot 41 extendin from a point adjacent the top w of the pane to a'point adjacent its center.

A guide rod 42 is supported in spaced relation to the rear of the panel 40 by means of suitable brackets 43 arranged adjacent the extremities of the panel. A bracket 44 is secured adjacent the lower end of the slot 41. A slide member comprises a rod or bar 45 attached at its upper end to a horizontal crosspiece 46 which extends throughthe slotl41 and is provided at its forward end with a on the guide rod between the through an openin in the bracket 44 and its lower end is provi ed with a horizontal vane 50 which is also slidably arranged on the guide rod 42. The vane 50 is for the purpose of retarding the downward motion of the pointer and the spring 43 is for the pur ose of accelerating such motion, the two coin ining to produce a substantially constant downward or falling speed in contrast to the constant acceleratlon of a freely falling body. The vane is held back by the air which it displaces in its downward movement. It is obvious, however, that speed of the falling ointer may be retarded by frictional means in place of the vane. The highest position of the pointer is marked by zero At a point spaced below the zero position, the scale starts with the highest yardage, here given as 300 yds., and the yarda e scale decreases as the scale aproachest e lowerend of the slot 41. The all is timed from the tee to themat by the pointer. When the ball leaves the tee the indicator is released and when it strikes the mat the indicator is stopped. It will be seen that as the pointer is alling from the hi h yardage to the low yardage, the longer t e time interval between the ball leaving the tee and striking one of the mats, the shorter will be the driveindicated in yards on the scale, andthe shorter the time interval the longer the drive indicated.

Because of the s ring 45 and .vane 50 the scale may have su stantially uniform divisions, whereas if the pointer were allowed to manner of accomplishing this result. A latch 51 is pivoted to the upper bracket 43 and when the pointer is raised to zero position a stud 52 on the crosspiece 46 is engaged by the latch and the pointer is securely held in a position. The latch 51 is provided with a laterally projecting arm 53 which serves as the armature for an electro-magnet 54 secured to the upper bracket 43. The coil of this magnet is wired to the contact strips 34 and a battery or other source of current sup- .ply 55 is included in this wiring. As the plates 34 are insulated from each other, the

mam

strips 34 as shown. in Figure 14, thereby energizing the magnet 54, attracting the armature 53 and disengaging the latch 51 from the stud 52, allowing thespring 43 to start the pointer on itsdownward path.

In order to stop the falling pointer, I provide, on the bracket 44, a suitable braking device operated by the ball striking one of the mats. The braking device comprises a pair of cams 56 pivoted to the bracket 44 on opposite sides of the bar 45 and in alignment therewith. The cams are provided with toothed segments 57 which are secured to the rear faces of the cams and mesh with one another at the rear of the bar 45 as seen in Figures 15 and'16. Movement of one of the cams therefore, causes a corresponding movement of the other cam.

Gne of the cams is rovided with a depending iug 58 to whic a coilspring 59 is secured, the other end of the 5 ring being secured to the bracket 44. As t e lug 58 is arranged below the pivot point of the cam, the spring 59 tends to, move the cams down- This movement of the cams,,however, is normally prevented by a pivoted latch 60 which engages a projection 61 on one of the segments. The latch 60 is extended beyond its pivot point, and this projection 62 serves as the armature for an electro-magnet 63 mounted on the bracket 44. i

The coil of the magnet 63 is wired to the contact plate 27 and the contact washer 26, a battery or other source of current supply 64 being arranged in the circuit. When the ball strikes one of the mats, the circuit is closed to the magnet 63 which draws down the armature 62 thereby disengaging the latch 60 and allowing the spring 59 to pull the cams into locking position, clamping the bar 45 and preventing further movement thereof. When the pointer is raised to its upper or zero position, the cams are raised by means of, a stud 65 on the bar 45 which engages one of the cams and moves it upwardly against the tension of the spring 59. As the cams are raised the projection 61 is engaged by the latch 60 which holds the cams out of engagement with the bar 45 until the ma et 63 is again energized.

While. l have s own the washer 26 and plate 27 wired to the magnet 68, I contemplate substitutin a pair of lates for the plate 27, one on eac sideof t e cable 23 and wired as the plates 34 in Figure l3. Contact would then be made between the plates by the washer 26. It will also be understood that in place of the arrangement shown in Figures 13 and 14, "for releasing. the pointer, I may wire the lower plate 34 and the lower tee.

washer 39, to the coil of the magnet 54, as m Figure 15, and have the circuit to thejmagnet closed by direct contact of the lower washer with the lower late.

After the balls stri e the mats 19 and 20 they drop into an inclined trough 66 extending across the ca e below the mats, and roll into the gutter 6 which'carries the balls to a point adjacent the driving tee.

As there are a number of the tees 37 arranged in the slot 31 01 the driving mat 29, a number of balls may be teed up at one time and driven into the mats 19 and 20 which When the ball represent the golf course. is struck the pointer starts to fall and when the ball strikes one of the mats the pointer is stopped and shows, on the scale, the length of the drive. After each drive the pointer must be reset by raising the knob 48 to its upper position. It will be seen, therefore, that the length of the drive is calculated by the initial velocity of the ball as shown by the time interval required for the ball to pass from the tee to the mat.

It is desirable to, distinguish between a straight drivewhich strikes the mat l9 representing the fairway, and an foff line? driye which strikes the mat 2O representing the rough. This may be accomplished by addrn a bonus to the length of a drive whic strikes the mat 19. The mat l9 may be arranged closer to the tee than themat 20; it may he made of lighter material, or the washer 26 may be located nearer to the plate 27 on the-mat 19, thereby stopping the pointer sooner and registering a longer drive.

l/Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it 15 to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my claims. v Having thus describedmy invention, what invention or the scope of the subjomed I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patcut is:

1. In a golf ball driving device, a driving tee from which a ball is to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, an indicator, means opto start the operation of the indicator, and

means operated by the ball striking the target to stop the operation of said indicator.

2. In a golf ball driving device, a tee from erated by a ball being driven from said tee which a ball is adapted to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, an indicator having a scale. and" a movable pointer, means operated by the driving of a hall from the tee to start the pointer moving along the sonic, and means operated by the ball striking the tar-;

get to stop the movement of said pointer.-

3. An indicator comprising a movable pointer, a latch to hold said pointer in inoperative .position, an electro-magnet arranged adjacent said latch'and adapted when energized to disengage said latch from said pointer, a braking device adapted to stop 4. An indicator com rising a guide, an in-' dicating member slida le on said guide, a latch adapted to engage said indicator in its inoperative position, an electro-magnet arranged adjacent the latch and adapted when energized to disengage said latch from the indicating member, means to propel the indicating member along the guide, a brakingmember arranged adjacent a portion of the indicatin member, alatch normally engaging said raking member to hold it in inoperative -position, an electro-magnet 'arranged adjacent said latch and adapted when energized to disengage the latch from said braking member, and means operated by resetting of the indicating member to engage the indicating member andlbrakin'g member with their respective latches. f

5. An indicator comprising a panel having a vertical slot therein, a guide member supported on said panel and arranged in'parallel relation with the slot, an indicating pointer movable on said guide and extending through said slot, a latch pivoted adjacent the upper end of said slot and adapted to normally engage said pointer to hold it in its --inoperative position, an electro-magnet arranged adjacent said latch and adapted when energized to withdraw the latch from en gagement with the pointer, a spring adapted to engage the pointer under tension when the pointer is engaged by .the latch, a braking cam adapted to enga e a ortion of said pointer, a latch an aging said braking cam and normally holding it out of engagement with the pointer, an electro-magnet arranged adjacent a portion of said latch and adapted when energized to. disengage the latch from the braking member, and-means to retard the acceleration of the ointer when released and propelled along t e slot by the spring.

6.I A golf ball driving device comprising a tee from which a ball is adapted to be driven, a target spaced from the tee, an indicator comprising a vertically falling pointer, a latch holding the pointer in its upper position, a braking device adapted to engage a portion-of the pointer, a latch holding said braking device in its inoperative position, an electro-magnet adapted when energized to withdrawn the first named latch from engagement with the pointer, means operated by the driving of a ball from the tee to energize said magnet and release the pointer, a

second electro-magnet adapted when energized to withdraw the latch from engagement with the brakin device and allowing the brake to engage t e pointer, and means operated by the ball striking the target to energize the last named electro-magnet.

7 In a golf ball drivin device, a tee from which a ball is adapted to e driven, a pair of targets, an indicator having a movable pointer, means to start said pointer moving when the ball is driven from said tee, means to stop said pointer when the ball strikes one of the targets, and means to stop the pointer when the ball strikes the other target, the pointer being stopped in a smaller interval of time when one target is struck than when the other target is struck.

8. In a golf driving device, an insulating member having an openin therein, a contact plate arranged above sai member adjacentsaid opening, a second contactplate arranged below said insulating member adjacent the opening therein, a tee freely and tiltablydisosed in said opening in the insulating memher and having a contact member resting upon the upper contact plate, and said tee having a lower contact member disposed below and normally spaced from the lower contact plate, whereby when a ball is driven from said tee it will be tilted and both contact members will engage the contact plates on the insulating member.

9. In a golf driving device, an insulating member having an opening therein, a pair of contact platessecured to said member one on each side thereof, and having openings therein registering with the opening in the insulatingmember, a tee having a stud extending through the openings in the plates and insu lating member, and having a substantially smaller diameter than said openings, a contact washer secured to thestud and normally resting on the upper contact plate, and a lower contact washer arranged on said stud and normally disposed below and spaced from the lower contact plate, whereby when a ball is driven from said tee the tee will tilt and the contact washers will engage 'both of the contact plates.

10. In a olf ball driving device, a driving tee from w ich a ball is to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, an indicator, electrieal apparatus connecting the teeth with the indicator to start the operation of the indicator .when a ball is driven from the tee, and electric apparatus connecting the target with the indicator and operated by the ball striking the target to stop the operation of the indicator.

11. In a golf ball driving device, a tee from which a ball is adapted to be'driven, a target spaced from said tee, an indicator having a scale and a movable pointer, electrical apparatus connected to the tee and operated by the driving of a ball from the tee to start the pointer moving along the scale, and electrical apparatus connected to the target and operated by the ball striking the target to stop the movement of the pointer.

12. In a golf ball driving device, a driving tee from which a ball is adapted to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, and a timing apparatus to time the fl1ght of the ball from tee to target, said timing apparatus being operatively connected with the tee and the target and being set in operation by driving a ball from the tee and being stoppedby the contact of the ball with the target.

13. In a golf ball drivin device, a tee from which a ball is to be riven, a target spaced from said tee, a time operated ap-" paratus, and electrical connections between said tee and time operated apparatus and between said target and time operated apparatus to set the time operated apparatus in operation when the ball is driven from the tee and to stop the operation of the time operated apparatus when the ball reaches the target.

14. In a golf ball driving device, a tee from which a ball is to be driven, and means operatively connected to said tee and to a point spaced from said tee to determine the approximate distance a ball driven from said tee would travel if uninterrupted in its fli ht, by automaticallytiming the flight of the all from the tee to the said point spaced from said tee.

15. In a elf ball driving device, a tee from which a ha is to be driven, and means operatively connected to said tee and to a point spaced from said tee to translate the time interval required by the flight of the ball from the tee to said point spaced from the tee into the approximate distance the driven ball would travel if uninterrupted in its flight.

16. In a golf ball driving device, a driving tee from w ich a ball is to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, and means operatively connected to the tee and target and operated by driving a ball from the tee to the target to determine the a proximate distance 7 of the flight of the ball rom the time interval required by the ball to travel from tee to target. a

1 In a golf ball driving device, a driving tee from which the ball is adapted to be driven, a target spaced from said tee, and means operatively connected to the tee and target and operated by driving a ball from the tee to the target to time the fli ht of the ball from the tee to the target, an means to translate the time interval of the flight of the ball from tee to target into the distance the ball would have traveled if it had not been sto ped by the target.

11 testimon%whereof I afiix my si ature. LAN CHARD D. S TH. 

